#73: He shot and killed a 60-year-old driver on the Stevenson Expressway while on a recognizance bond for 2 felony gun charges, prosecutors say

One year ago, cops arrested Joshua Concepcion after officers allegedly saw him walking down a street at 12:05 a.m. with a gun in his hand. Later the same day, Judge John Lyke released Concepcion on his own recognizance to await trial on two felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon.

Concepcion, 19, got ahold of another gun and, one week before Thanksgiving, he shot and killed a 60-year-old man who was riding in another car on the inbound Stevenson Expressway in the Bridgeport neighborhood, prosecutors said Tuesday.

He’s now charged with first-degree murder.

Concepcion is the 73rd person accused of killing or shooting — or trying to shoot or kill — someone in Chicago last year while awaiting trial for a felony. The crimes involve 111 victims, 30 of whom died.

Joshua Concepcion (L) and Federico Bautista | CPD; National Gun Violence Memorial

Around 4:19 a.m. on November 18, Concepcion was riding in the back seat of a stolen Jeep as it traveled on the Stevenson near Loomis Boulevard, said Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy.

As the Jeep pulled alongside Federico Bautista, Concepcion fired 14 rounds into Bautista’s car, striking the 60-year-old in the twice in the abdomen and once in the shoulder, Murphy said. Bautista died at the scene.

Murphy offered no motive for the crime.

Shortly after the shooting, Concepcion met up with two other people and showed them a handgun, bragging that he had just shot someone on the expressway, according to Murphy.

Investigators located the gunman’s car and found Concepcion’s DNA on the interior door handles and rear passenger side, Murphy said. Police also found gunshot residue on the rear passenger side of the Jeep and cellphone location records allegedly put Concepcion near the shooting scene.

On Tuesday, at the state’s request, Judge Charles Beach ordered Concepcion held without bail on a charge of first-degree murder. Beach held him without bail for violating the terms of release in the gun case from last June.

Concepcion has been in Cook County jail since January. That’s when prosecutors charged him with aggravated fleeing and possessing a stolen motor vehicle — crimes that also allegedly occurred while he was on a recognizance bond for the gun charges.

During a bail hearing in January, prosecutors said police arrested Concepcion after he crashed a stolen Honda Civic that was the subject of a CPD all-points-bulletin because investigators suspected it of being used in “a number of shootings.”

Police allegedly found a loaded pistol on the car’s back seat floorboard. Concepcion’s passenger was charged with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

The “not horrible” series

This report continues our coverage of individuals who have been accused of murder, attempted murder, or shooting firearms toward people while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.

The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has made arrests in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data. You can support CWBChicago’s work by becoming a subscriber today.

The “not horrible” series

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